Friday, August 31, 2012

I decided to join in once again. An eventful month is coming up, so let's see what my camera is going to snap!
In case you want to play yourself and need more information on the current challenge you find it here.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Slice a lemon and a peach. Put them in a jar filled with fresh water and ice cubes. Add some sprigs of mint. Stir well and let the water absorb the subtle flavours of the fruit. 1/2 hour is fine. Serve chilled.

When I lived in Spain we used to drink a lot of scented Agua Fresca on summer days. It's very refreshing. You should also try it with orange or melon. So good!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

And yes, there is a difference in taste between homegrown and bought in the shop! This yellow zucchino proved it. In its perfect state of ripeness, with only a few hours between garden and oven, seasoned with sea salt and olive oil, it made for a simple and most delicious dinner.

The origin of this bright vegetable: Mr Simonsen's amazing showgardens where we spent an afternoon to gather inspiration for our own garden. My next project will probably be a small kitchen garden!

Monday, August 13, 2012

I've recently been hooked on the green smoothie fever, all thanks to Victoria Boutenko and her two books "Green for life" and "Green Smoothie". Here is my own little introduction to the power juice and detox wonder:

Green smoothies typically contain at least 1 cup of water, leafy green vegetables and fruit, and often small amounts of secret power foods. The green smoothie can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner because it is so wholesome and filling. It supplies the body with everything it needs ( = energy, minerals, and water) in it's purest form. Therefore it is the perfect detox food.

How to make a green smoothie:

First of all you need a blender, but not just any blender!! You need a blender with at least 1000watts, otherwise your smoothie won't be smooth. I have a "Vitamix" but any brand should do the trick.
To get started you could find recipes in Vicoria Boutenko's books or her website, randomly on the internet or you start experimenting straightaway using my list of ingredients.

greens:

swiss chard

collard greens

parsley

kale

romaine lettuce

carrot green

beetroot green

spinach

fruit:

banana

apple

orange

coconut

pineapple

mango

melon

strawberries

raspberries

blueberries

dates or agave syrup for additional sweetness

power foods:

chia seeds and psyllium seeds (rich in minerals and amino acids and for a pudding-like consistency)

Monday, August 06, 2012

Another recipe from the famous Rose Bakery in Paris! For quite a while I have fancied Rose's maple syrup scones. When my daughter and our friend Lenka felt like trying out some new recipes for a tea party I seized my opportunity and suggested the scones. Equipped with the BREAKFAST-LUNCH-TEA cookbook and all the necessary ingredients and tools, making scones for the first time went very smooth.

Rose Carrarini doesn't exaggerate saying that these scones smell like heaven when they just come out of the oven! They are soft and light and warm and taste great with any topping (even tomato paste, as I discovered the next day).

Sift the plain and wholewheat flours into a bowl and mix in the oats, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Add the butter and rub in wit your fingers until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs.

In another bowl, mix together the syrup and 4 tablespoons milk.

Make a well in the middle of the flours and oats and pour in the syrup and milk mixture. Use a fork to work it into the dry ingredients. Finish by hand: just lightly bring everything together to form a firm but softish dough. It must not be sticky at all.

On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a solid shape about 3 cm thick. Using a 5cm cutter (or a shot glass) cut the dough into rounds and place them on a greased baking tray.

Glaze the tops with the beaten egg, and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.

Friday, August 03, 2012

Every year for 2 months the Ostrale invites national and international artists to take part in a remarkable event at a historical site. The Hans-Erlwein-slaughterhouse offers 15.000 m² exhibition space and an outdoor area more than three times larger. You hardly encounter other visitors and especially a grey sky adds to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, that creeps upon me in the old halls.

With the issue "homegrown" the OSTRALE/ 012 is dedicated to the self-cultivated or self-grown and is principally asking for localizing creative impetuses in a spatial, temporal and cultural context.

Focus of attention is the relationship between tradition and innovation.

There were works that really stood out to me. I will just post a very small selection.

About

My name is Bärbel. I love looking at beautiful things: colours, aesthetic food and story telling interiors, wild animals and rare porcelain.
With my Canon EOS D5 I hope to show what caught my eye.
For blog and photography inquiries:
baerbelspittler@gmail.com